5 replies to this topic

[Yurtie]

Yesterday was the Bathurst Half Marathon. Petrol heads will recognize the name of Bathurst as the home of the Bathurst 1000 for production cars. Bathurst itself is a sizeable country town with lots of old buildings dating back to the prosperity of the 1850's gold rush to the large pastoral fortunes around 1900.

The Bathurst Half Marathon is a pleasant race. It's low key, costs $20 to enter, starts at the sensible hour of 9am and attracts around 100 entrants. About 2/3 of these opt for the 10km course.

I had competed at the race once before and had a finish time of 2:12.

It's 9:00 and we're off. The first 10ks is an out an back along river flats. There's cows and horses in the paddocks and we're running past some bulrushes in the river. The sky is blue and the grass is golden from the drought. Turn around point comes quickly and we head back for the 5ks to the start. Half marathoners will continue past the start for a more difficult undulating 11k.

I go past the start/finish area in 48 mins for the 10k. Soo and Rosella are there waving and I continue on. By this time my running buddy Peter has pulled ahead and I'm running with "Dave" from Orange runners also doing his second. Dave is desperate to beat 2hrs which he has never done. My best time for any half marathon is 1:58 so we decide to stick together and help each other out.

As we run out into the countryside again the sun has risen and it's fairly warm. The undulating hills come quickly and the beauty of the autumn poplars is in contrast to the dried up dams and waterholes. This drought has been going for over 4 years now and we need some rain. The big dam to the north of Bathurst is now at 8% capacity.

The last turn around comes up and the legs are starting to feel tired and heavy. However thoughts of a PB as well as the desire to pass the bloke in the green shirt who has been 200m in front since the 5k mark keep us pushing along. The wind has picked up now and is sending the yellow poplar leaves down on the runners like a snowstorm.

We pick up the speed and green shirt is within reach. Dave moves ahead and green shirt's pace slows. I let Dave go and then pass green shirt at the 19km mark. I'm still on track for a PB so as I go over the last hill I take encouragement from the thoroughbred race horses that are stabled here looking over the fence and I start running more strongly. The finish line is in sight and I cross it with Rosella in 1:55.

A 17 minute PB for this race and 3 mins overall so I'm pretty happy.

It's a nice way to kick start training for the spring IM campaigns.

Yurtie

[Yurtie]

I meant to say, Poider did 1:50 after a power surge at the 7km mark

[Twopennys]

Thanks for the report Yurtie - I've got to start looking at the calendar more regularly.

I was in Bathurst for the weekend and didn't even know it was on <_<

[queen_bee]

Great report Yurtie.

Congrats on your PB on what sounds like a magnificent course.

[Jimboy]

So what time did Dave do? :)

[Yurtie]

Dave did 1:54.

Queen Bee, it is a nice course. The road isn't closed but there isn't much traffic and the drivers are friendly and encouraging.

Think country gymkana, think Sun on the Stubble, think of that cow painitng by Ellioth Gruner.